Here’s to 2011

Oh, right. I was too busy vacationing in The Bahamas. Don’t be too jealous – this was my first vacation in a year and a half. I’m still shocked that it took that long for me to step away from my daily life and truly unplug. So that’s what I did over the past week – and you know what? It was pretty fabulous. A week on Paradise Island with minimal access to the outside world? Yes please!

Since my parents have a time share there, we stayed in a villa that was equiped with ensuite laundry and a full kitchen. Needless to say, I cooked my little heart out including breakfast for the family every morning and I lent a helping hand to my mother for lunch and dinner. We decided to only eat out where it counted and made two very important trips: to the Fish Fry in Nassau and Mesa Grill on the island. Oh. My. Gosh. Can I please go back and eat the exact same meals again?

At the Twin Brothers Restaurant, I totally threw caution to the wind and enjoyed my grilled red snapper with a side of this amazing macaroni and cheese. I hardly ever eat mac & cheese anymore, so when I want to eat it, I eat it! It was sinful, and I scraped the plate clean.

They made a mistake and gave me steamed vegetables and rice and beans instead of macaroni and cheese initially. Instead of taking it back, they brought me the mac & cheese on the side. I didn’t complain.

In the mornings, I would wake up early to exercise which included not not one, not two, but three amazing pain-free runs on the island. I can’t tell you how amazing it felt to run at my own pace, to enjoy the scenery and get lost in my thoughts. When I got back, I would stretch, shower, and get busy in the kitchen making breakfast for my family.

Including these delicious spinach and cheese omlettes. Instead of buying jam, we brought some single serving jam packets that were a huge life saver!

One morning, I was feeling particularly adventurous and made mini sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches for the family. I heard they were tasty.

For lunch/dinner, I lived off tuna, eggs, beans and cheese. I even made pan seared tuna steaks for the first time. Look at that gorgeous colour (note I was using frozen steaks so I erred on the side of caution and cooked them a little more than what was recommended). My parents were not a fan of the raw inside and opted to cook their steaks completely through.

On Wednesday, we dined at Mesa Grill where I ate myself into a food coma. Mini rolls, cornmeal muffins, sweet potato and wild rice tamales, halibut, churros and pear buttermilk upside down cake… oh mama. I was (still am) one happy camper. I want to go back. Tomorrow. Can this be arranged somehow?

I’m not going to lie, the veal and steaks that my family ordered looked way too good to pass up and we all sampled each other’s dinner. Bobby Flay, you amaze me and I love you.

When the weather was kind (it was too windy during the first few days), I spent time furiously reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, and then writing in my paper journal after I was finished reading the book.

I drank coffee every single day and thought a lot about my goals for 2011 and beyond.

Then I rang in the New Year on the Marina with my family, music, water, yachts, and fireworks.

It was exactly what I needed to end 2010 with, and I came back to Toronto feeling refreshed and full of motivation and hope for the upcoming year.

I’ve never been a “New Year’s Resolutions” kind of person. I blame it on the fact that I’m impatient and don’t like waiting to do something. If I want to do something, I don’t want to use any excuses to wait until I start doing it (for me personally, this always leads me to procrastinate enough to never get started!). A few years ago, I made a promise to myself to reach for the stars and follow my dreams wherever they take me. Every day, I take one more step living my life in the best way I know how and soaking up everything I can along the way. It’s worked well for me so far, and I can’t wait to continue living in 2011.